Gov. Laura Kelly today recommended that the state stay in Phase 3 of the Ad Astra plan, as the number of positive cases is rising.
The state reported 406 new COVID-19 cases since Friday and five more deaths, she said. The state is in Phase 3 currently, and it is now guidance and not mandatory, as the state changed to local community control concerning COVID-19 guidelines on May 27. Wyandotte County is under a mandatory local health order for Phase 3.
Gov. Kelly said she knows everyone is tired of COVID-19 and they want to get back with their families and groups, however people must remain vigilant as the virus is still in the communities and is spreading.
Until there is a cure or vaccination, residents should continue social distancing, avoid mass gatherings, practice good hygiene, not go out when sick and wear masks, she said.
The state uses disease spread, deaths and hospitalization rates as three measurements to determine when to move to the next phase, she said.
Before May 27, cases in the state were trending downward, she said. After, the state is seeing an increase.
Kansas reported 12,465 positive cases on Monday, an increase of 406 cases since Friday, Gov. Kelly said. There were five more deaths in the state, for a cumulative total of 259.
Wyandotte County reported 1,876 cases at 1 p.m. Monday, an increase of 47 cases since 1 p.m. Sunday. There were no additional deaths reported.
At the University of Kansas Health System on Monday morning, there was a slight increase since Friday, with 21 COVID-19 patients, an increase of three since Friday, according to hospital officials. Eight patients were in the intensive care unit, while six were on ventilators, the same as Friday.
Gov. Kelly reported Monday that the number of COVID-19 patients in the state associated with gatherings is steadily increasing. They are now seeing clusters in the state that were associated with funerals, graduations and Mother’s Day gatherings, she said. There were 187 clusters in the state, with 96 of them still active, she said.
Recent clusters reported in Wyandotte County were at the Bonner Springs Nursing and Rehab, where 5 cases were reported, according to the UG’s COVID-19 website. Another outbreak recently reported was at the General Motors Fairfax plant in Kansas City, Kansas, where 5 cases have been reported, according to the website.
A spokesman for the UG Health Department said that a couple of recent outbreaks were under investigation. Staff is working closely to monitor and help reduce the spread of COVID-19, she said. Testing has been done at the nursing home in Bonner Springs, and they are now looking at another possible round of testing, she said.
Doctors and staff at the KU Health System today discussed what they know now about COVID-19 that they didn’t know at the start.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical direction of infection prevention and control at the KU Health System, said that antibody testing began today at the KU Health System. However, they still don’t have a clear idea of what the results mean or how individuals can benefit from it.
Changes noted in communicating
Dr. Chris Brown said he has seen a lot of changes in how doctors communicate with nurses, family members and pastoral care staff. They used technology to connect with families.
He’s also seen a change in the medications that were initially offered to patients – some of them such as hydroxychloroquine are no longer used. As more information because available, they had to change quite a bit, he added.
Chaplain Kathy Riegelman said the ways to connect with families who are not able to be in the hospital with their loved ones has changed. It’s always been her belief that “distance doesn’t diminish the love,” she said. “It will reach the person.” People have found more creative ways to show their love, she added.
Ashleigh Adams, a registered nurse, said, “The Zoom meetings were amazing.”
The nurses sometimes had to explain to family members what each team member said, because family members could not be at the bedside, she said. Now the rules have changed a little, allowing one visitor.
Wearing masks
On the topic of wearing masks, Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer at KU Health System, said one thing that has changed is they are no longer as much concerned about coronavirus getting on food and on surfaces as they are about people preparing the food and serving it who don’t wear a mask.
Dr. Hawkinson said when he went to Florida, about half the people in airports were not wearing masks. That contrasted with Colorado, where people are wearing masks in public, he said.
Dr. Hawkinson said he encourages people who work in food service to wear masks. When getting takeout food, in general people should set it out, take it out of the package, and wash their hands before they eat, to reduce the chance of getting COVID-19, he said.
“When people in confined areas get together, it spreads very easily,” Dr. Hawkinson said. It will spread in large gatherings if people are not practicing physical distancing, wearing a mask and using good hand hygiene, he said.
Adams said she had noticed some people not wearing masks when they were in the grocery store, and she was careful to wear a mask.
When she talks to young people about wearing masks, she says it’s “about grandma and grandpa, not just about you, it’s about others,” she said. “It’s about everybody, we’ve all got to be in this together.”
Riegelman said she tries to bring the discussion about masks back to the facts. She will try to help people realize there really isn’t any magic protection if you’re a person of faith, she said. “This is a virus that doesn’t make distinctions in that.” She asks people to keep safe so they can keep serving others.
Courtney Ash, director of respiratory therapy at KU Health System, said when she goes out in public she’s all masked up. She said she tells young health care workers that they should be leaders, and set the example for wearing a mask and keeping others safe. She added that her staff is thankful for the great outpouring of support shown by the community that keeps them going.
To see the governor’s news conference, visit https://www.facebook.com/GovLauraKelly/videos/901311227042496/?v=622727571934285.
To see the KU doctors’ news conference, visit
https://www.facebook.com/kuhospital/videos/686044505584842/.
COVID-19 test sites in Wyandotte County are listed at https://wyandotte-county-covid-19-hub-unifiedgov.hub.arcgis.com/pages/what-to-do-if-you-think-you-have-covid-19
The state’s COVID-19 test page is at https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/280/COVID-19-Testing
Residents may visit the UG COVID-19 website at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information or call 311 for more information.
The UG’s COVID-19 information page is at https://alpha.wycokck.org/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Information.
Wyandotte County is currently under Phase 3. See covid.ks.gov.
The state plan’s frequently asked questions page is at https://covid.ks.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Reopening-FAQ_5.19.2020_Final.pdf.
The CDC’s COVID-19 web page is at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.